In the 13th century, King Fredrick II of Germany wanted to know what language children would develop if they were deprived of any verbal influence. He had a group of infants taken from their mothers and fathers and raised by caregivers. The caregivers provided food and shelter but were forbidden to speak in the children's presence. What do you think King Fredrick II found?
All of the children died.
Why? Quite simply, attachment is everything. Without being loved, touched, talked to and comforted by a permanent parent figure, baby animals and humans wither away psychologically or they die.
Much of the brain and nervous system is being wired during the first years of life, and they control how we relate with others. Current research suggests that if you don't receive consistent love and nurturance from a parent figure during these crucial years, the brain and nervous system aren't wired correctly; your ability to attach to and love other people is malformed, likely permanently.
When this happens it is called an attachment disorder. Attachment disorders aren't commonly known but are prevalent around the world.
The movie "Good Will Hunting" is a good portrayal of the life of someone with an attachment disorder; unfortunately his happy ending is unrealistic. Just like Will in the movie, an individual with an attachment disorder has difficulty forming loving, lasting, intimate relationships. Attachment affects one's home life, friendships, work, and how he or she interacts with their community. Our jails and prisons are filled with individuals with attachment disorders.
Attachment disorders occur when children are left crying, not fed and cared for regularly, aren't held or talked to, or are abandoned by their caregiver. In our country, these situations are common in parents with drug and alcohol addictions, in abusive homes, or when a parent has an attachment disorder. When children are removed from abusive homes and moved from foster home to foster home, this is a recipe for an attachment disorder.
Life like this is a tragedy. Even if you aren't moved by their misfortune, though, perhaps you will be moved by how it affects you. Consider the expense to taxpayers of someone with an attachment disorder: years of juvenile probation, in and out of jails, moving onto prison, law enforcement dealing with constant crime, and likely having children of their own that will be removed from them and placed in protective care.
To promote better attachment we need to better support parents, particularly at-risk parents. Longer maternity leaves and quality daycare is crucial. Early intervention programs provide nurturance to children and support and guidance to their parents. In-home preservation services through child protective agencies teach parents, hands on, how to adequately nurture their children. Well-trained foster parents understand attachment and how they need to interact with their foster children to promote good relatedness. Good schools give children a safe haven with gently consistent rules and exposure to new ways of understanding things.
Our Legislature is in the process of making decisions that will dramatically affect the lives of young people. Funding cuts for education and child protective services undoubtedly will have devastating consequences. The consequences won't be immediately realized.
What happens during this legislative season will affect the lives of children for generations to come, and the health of our community will bear the brunt of short-term fixes. Providing good educational environments, identifying and helping at-risk families, training social workers and allowing them to have manageable case loads, and recruiting and training foster families are dirt cheap compared to the alternative.
- Lisa Keating, Ph.D., is a Carson City clinical psychologist.